Managing your claim costs

The most effective ways to keep your workers’ compensation premium to a minimum are:

• keep your workers safe to minimise the risk of workplace injury
• actively manage your claims to obtain the best return to work outcomes.

We use your claims experience to help calculate your premium amount. This means the more claims you have, the more likely your premium will increase.

To help manage your claim costs:

• make sure your injued worker lodges their claim as soon as possible after the injury
• provide your injured workers with appropriate, timely rehabilitation and suitable duties programs, where appropriate
• focus on workplace preventative measures to avoid similar injuries in the future
• give us as much information about the injury as you can
• encourage workers to give you a copy of their application form.

How does lodging a claim early help?

The earlier we receive a claim, the sooner we can make a decision on the claim, and the sooner we can help your worker back to work safely. Research shows that the longer the duration of a claim, the higher the claim cost and, hence, the more impact on your premium.

It is also important to remember that you have an obligation to lodge your report immediately after knowing about the
injury, in accordance with the legislation.

How does disputing a claim affect my premium?

If you are concerned about a claim, tell us and we will investigate your concern. It is important to only dispute claims you are genuinely concerned about. Disputing a claim will slow the application process and potentially lengthen the claim.

How does rehabilitation help?

Put simply, rehabilitation helps to get your injured worker back to work quickly and safely. WorkCover Queensland is here to help, but rehabilitation is a joint effort involving you, the injured worker, medical providers, and our people.

How do suitable duties programs help?

A suitable duties program helps injured workers return to work gradually through a supervised process. The goal of the program is to help workers return to their normal duties.By providing workers every opportunity to return to work as soon as possible, you are helping to reduce the duration of a claim.

See the Risk management fact sheet for further information.